Welcome to this quick anxiety relief guided meditation by Lisa.
In today's short practice,
We will use a technique called anchoring.
Anchoring is grounding yourself in the present moment.
When we experience high levels of anxiety,
We often get caught up in the depths of our minds.
And one way to stop anxiety from controlling our thoughts and emotions is to pay attention to the physical body.
We focus on any physical sensations we can feel without thinking about them or visualizing them,
But just by purely sitting with them and allowing ourselves to become anchored to the present moment.
So let's begin by getting ourselves comfortable.
Sit with your back straight,
Your spine lengthened up towards the sky.
Rest your hands in your lap and once you have settled in,
Close your eyes.
Now,
Let's take a couple of deep breaths.
Breathing in deeply through the nose and breathing out slowly and gently through the mouth.
On every inhale,
Mentally note yourself in and on every exhale,
Mentally note to yourself out.
Breathe in again and then exhale out.
One more time.
Allow the breath to settle now and as it comes back to its natural soothing rhythm,
Bring your attention to the sense of touch at the bottom of your feet.
So maybe you are sitting on a chair or the ground.
Just notice the contact points between your feet and the surface they are resting on.
Notice the back of the heel.
See what is present here for you.
Notice the soles of your feet.
Notice your toes and if they are touching anything.
So notice any sensations of touch,
Contact or pressure.
Continue to feel and tune into these sensations for a few moments,
Feeling your feet resting comfortably and relaxed.
Now move your attention to the sit bones touching the chair or the ground.
So just notice the sensations of touch,
Contact and pressure that is present in this moment.
Notice the back of your legs and the top.
How do your legs feel?
Are they light or heavy?
Are they numb or tingly?
Are they cool or warm?
Just notice anything that may stand out to you.
There is no right or wrong way to feel,
Just noticing the presence or absence of sensations.
The objective here is simply to pay attention.
Notice your hand.
Notice how your hands feel.
Notice your fingers.
Notice the insides of your palms and the top of your hands.
Notice your fingertips.
And just tune into anything that may be present here for you,
Feeling peaceful and relaxed.
As you anchor yourself to the present experience of your body,
Very gently come back to your breath.
Take a few deep breaths once again,
Mentally noting to yourself,
In and out,
And a few more.
So when you are lost in thoughts,
You can always come back to noting your breath and practicing anchoring yourself to the physical sensations in your body.
When you shift your attention to something other than your anxiety,
You will slowly begin to relax and found yourself in the present moment.
When you are ready,
Begin to come back to your surroundings.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Move your head from side to side.
Stretch your body gently and then open your eyes.
